Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the fashion of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death — even the death of the cross. Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

The apostle Paul here tells us as Christians that we who trust in Christ Jesus should follow His example and humble ourselves now, trusting that God will also raise us up and exalt us to reign with Christ Jesus after we have suffered a while in this world.

But in these words, the apostle teaches us much about the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus is true God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He would not be taking undue honor to Himself to be equal with God. Indeed, He is the eternal Son of God through whom God created the heavens and the earth and gave to man life, both spiritual and physical (cf. Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; John 1:1-5).

Yet, this same Lord Jesus, true God with the Father and the Spirit, took on our nature and was born a true man, “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary” (Apostle’s Creed). And not only did Jesus not make full use of His divine attributes — his divine power, knowledge, glory, etc. — and live humbly as a man in this world, “He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death — even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8). “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried” (Apostle’s Creed).

And why did He do this? Why did God the Son take on human flesh and blood, live humbly as a man in this world and then suffer and die on the cross? That He might make atonement for our sins and redeem us from sin, death and the power of the devil (cf. Isa. 53:5-6; John 1:29; Heb. 2:14-17; 4:15; 7:26-27; Gal. 3:10,13; 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:21).

Luther explains this in his explanation of the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.”

The eternal Son of God humbled Himself and became true man and suffered and died on the cross that you and I might be redeemed and become His own — that through faith in Him and His shed blood, we might be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God our Maker. That we might become a part of Christ’s eternal kingdom and dwell in the presence of God forever (cf. John 3:16-17; Col. 1:19-23; 2 Cor. 5:18-21).

“Therefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father ” (Phil. 2:9-11). Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God the Father, a position of power and glory in which He rules over all and works to build His Church and establish His eternal kingdom (cf. Acts 1:9; Luke 24:51; Eph. 1:15-23; 4:8-16; Ps. 2; 110:1; Col. 2:13-15; 1 Cor. 15:20-28).

And what does God’s Word call upon us to do? To have the same mind as Christ Jesus: to humble ourselves in this world — to sacrifice our lives in this world — that those for whom Christ died and shed His holy and precious blood might hear the Gospel of forgiveness and life in Jesus’ name and repent, looking to Jesus and His cross for pardon and forgiveness. Indeed, that is what Jesus calls us to do as His redeemed, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (cf. Mark 16:15-16; Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-47; Acts 1:8).

And, as Jesus humbled Himself and was exalted, so we are assured that we who humble ourselves and trust in Christ will be exalted with Him. The Bible promises us that we will receive a crown of life and reign with Him forever and ever (cf. 2 Tim. 2:11-12; Rev. 2:10; 22:5).

“Let this mind be in you …” Amen.

O Dearest Jesus, we thank and praise You for humbling Yourself, taking on our nature and going to the cross to redeem us and make us Your own. Grant that we have the same mind in us, that we humble ourselves and trust in You and then live our lives for You that others, too, might hear of You and the salvation You won for all. Keep us in the true and saving faith until we are exalted to reign with You in heaven. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21). Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

Again the high priest asked Him and said unto Him, “Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest rent his clothes and said, “Why need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy. What think ye?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death. Mark 14:61-64

Jesus warned his enemies – the Jewish high priests, elders and scribes – that though they rejected Him now, they would one day see Him seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven and coming in the clouds of glory to be their Judge. Now was the time to repent and look to Him in faith for mercy and forgiveness before it is too late (cf. Psalm 2:10-12).

Why was Jesus condemned by His enemies? What were the charges against Him? It was because He told His enemies the truth, that He is God’s own dear Son – and that they would on the Last Day see Him as prophesied in Daniel the prophet: “I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).

Jesus’ enemies accused Him of “blasphemy” for claiming to be the Messiah, the Son of the Almighty God, and said He was “deserving of death.”

This truth that Jesus is the Christ, God’s only-begotten Son, and their Judge on the Last Day, was distressing to them because Jesus revealed to them their utter sinfulness and their need to repent and trust in Him for salvation, but they were not willing to face their own sin and need of a Savior!

Today also, people reject Jesus and the Christian Faith for the same reason. They are discomforted by the truth that Jesus is God the Son and will be the Judge of the living and of the dead on the Last Day. They are unwilling to acknowledge their own sinfulness before the LORD God and their need for a Savior! They are unwilling to turn from their sins to Christ Jesus for mercy!

Instead of accepting the responsibility and guilt for their own wickedness, people attempt to justify and excuse themselves, placing the blame for their failures on anything and everyone but themselves. Instead of acknowledging their utter sinfulness and seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness, they attempt to justify themselves and are angered by the truth that God will judge and condemn them for their sin.

The Bible says: “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 1:7 – 2:2).

The Bible also says in Psalm 32:1-5: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silent, my bones waxed old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; the sap of my soul was turned into the drought of summer. (Selah) I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,’ and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. (Selah)”

If we hide and cover up our sins, we are lying to and deceiving ourselves; but, if we acknowledge and confess our sins unto the Lord, He will have mercy upon us and forgive us all our sins for the sake of Jesus Christ’s holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead.

Again, the Bible says: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).

Dear LORD God, we acknowledge our own sinfulness unto You and ask You to graciously forgive and cleanse us for the sake of the holy and precious blood which Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son, shed for us on the cross. Amen.

[Scripture quoted from the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21) Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.]

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Psalm 2:1-3 (Read Psalm 2)

This psalm certainly described what took place in Jesus’ day, when He was rejected of His own people and nailed to the cross and crucified, and it was fulfilled when the religious rulers arrested Jesus’ disciples and commanded them no longer to preach in Jesus’ name (cf. Acts 4:23ff). Yet Jesus rose again in victory!

Is this Scripture describing the world of our day? The nations do rage and the people do plot a vain and foolish thing. Our rulers take counsel together against the LORD God and His Anointed (Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior of the world), saying let’s cut all ties with God and Christ Jesus and throw away the Bible, His commandments and anything which would bind us to Him!

But God, who is over all, laughs at man’s foolishness (v. 4-6). He speaks against it. How can people and nations free themselves from the Creator of the universe? From the one who holds their very breath in His hands (Daniel 5:23)? From the one who gives each one life in his mother’s womb and will be their judge (cf. Psalm 139:13-16; 96:13)?

In spite of man’s rebelliousness, the LORD God has sent His own only-begotten Son to redeem mankind and established His kingdom (v. 7-9; cf. Daniel 2:44f.; Isaiah 9:6-7; 53:3ff.). He reigns over God’s people – those who have repented of their sinful ways and trust in Him – and will soon judge this world and establish His everlasting kingdom (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 19:11ff.; 11:15).

And the Spirit of God warns the kings and judges of the earth – words which all of us should heed as well (v.10-12a): “Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little.”

We should all be wise and honor the Son, acknowledging Him as God’s only-begotten Son and trusting in Him to show us mercy for the sake of the redemption He accomplished for all when He suffered and died upon the cross and then rose again.

And the Spirit tells us that those who trust in Him are blessed – blessed with forgiveness for all their sins and a place in Christ’s everlasting kingdom (v. 12b). God grant to each of us such faith in Christ that we may be among the blessed.

O King of kings and Lord of lords, grant that we humble ourselves, repent of our sinful ways and look to You for mercy and forgiveness; and grant that we bear witness in this fallen world against the foolishness of rebelling against You. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?” These are the opening words of Psalm 2 and so well describe the raging of our own day. In fact, if you read on in the psalm, it tells us the real root of the raging we see almost every day on the news and increasingly in our own communities and neighborhoods: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

Though I shouldn’t be surprised, I admit that I sometimes am amazed at how accurately the Bible describes sinful me and the world in which I live. It’s just one more proof of the 100-percent accuracy and truthfulness of the Scriptures, which should come as no surprise to those who accept the Bible’s claim to having the God who created the universe as the real author. But, back to the heathen raging.

“Why do the heathen rage?” Why do people, politicians and the mainstream media rage when someone takes a stand against such things as abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, adultery, divorce, etc.? Why do they employ dishonesty, name-calling, demonstrations and sometimes even violence in an attempt to sway public opinion to their side? The answer of the psalm: they are trying to break and cast off the bands of the LORD God of the Bible and His Anointed, Jesus Christ, from us and our society and nation. They wish to be free of all influence of God and the Bible and they rage against any who hold to the true Christian Faith or to a true Christian view of the Bible as God’s inspired and unerring word.

And, yes, the word “heathen” includes many who claim to be Christian. It includes all who do not live in continual repentance and faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross for the sins of the world. It includes all who reject the Christ of the Bible, who is true God and true man and held to the accuracy and truthfulness of every word of the Bible and called such things as adultery, fornication, evil words, evil desires and coveting, sin and worthy of damnation. It includes all who would soften the words and teaching of Jesus to make them more appealing to our modern world. It includes all who believe or teach that faith in Jesus and His cross is not the only way of salvation.

Why do the heathen seek to cast off the LORD God of the Bible and His Christ? It’s because they don’t wish to be held accountable to a God who condemns sin. They don’t wish to admit that they are living in rebellion and disobedience against the God who created them and gave them life. They don’t wish to hear that they will all stand before the judgment seat of God’s Son. They don’t wish to repent of their sinful ways, place their faith in Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice upon the cross and then amend their thinking and lifestyle in accord with God’s Word, the Bible.

Jesus explained it when, just after the words of John 3:16, He said: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19-20).

And the raging against God and His Word is more than just a battle of opinions among people. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). We need to remember that Satan Himself is behind the raging against the LORD and His Anointed. With his lies and deception, Satan is at work trying to make good look evil and evil look good — that is why the killing of the unborn is described as women’s reproductive rights, euthanasia as showing kindness and mercy to the elderly and terminally ill, homosexuality as an individual being true to his or her nature, etc. It’s all a lie — an appealing lie — of Satan.

This raging against God and His Word is not a new thing even though the battle has become more open and vocal in recent years. The raging was evident in the teaching of evolution in the public schools and the attempts in public education to discredit the Bible. It has been evident in church body after church body with the questioning of the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and with challenges to numerous teachings of the Bible. It was evident in the Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decisions. And, it is evident today in all the wranglings to keep conservative judges from being seated in courts and to prevent states from enacting and enforcing moral laws.

Christians will not and cannot win this battle over the raging by simply electing conservative leaders, because the real battle is not for outward dominion but for the hearts and minds of the people. It is not a battle to be fought with guns and bombs, or even by political maneuvering to get more votes and more earthly power. It is a spiritual battle to be fought with spiritual weapons. Christians will not win or gain ground through compromise or acquiescence. It’s not time to surrender the sword of the Spirit or to put our armor down (Eph. 6:10ff.). Appealing to the raging masses through any compromise of the truth will only give the enemies of truth the entrance and foothold they need to silence the witness to the truth altogether behind good words like “love” and “acceptance.”

Christians must stand firm and teach and proclaim God’s truth — all of it — nothing more and nothing less! And Christians need to be praying that God would use His truth to change hearts and minds from those who rage against the LORD and His Christ to those who submit to the LORD and His Christ and who hear and believe the truth, repenting of their sins and sinful ways and looking to Christ for pardon, forgiveness and for the needed help and strength to amend their lives.

And we do, by the way, know the final outcome. Read on in Psalm 2 for the answer. Those who are raging now would do well to heed the words of the final verses.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:14-17

The account of the brass serpent which Moses lifted up on a pole is recorded in Numbers 21:4-9. The people of Israel had become discouraged along the way in the wilderness. They spoke against both God and Moses, questioning why they had been brought into such a desolate land where there was neither food nor water. They had grown tired of the manna God provided them each day. Because of their lack of faith and complaining words, the LORD God sent fiery serpents among the people to bite them, and many of the people died.

Then the people acknowledged their sin and asked Moses to pray to the LORD that He would remove the serpents from them. Instead of removing all the serpents, God commanded Moses to make a fiery serpent and lift it up on a pole so that anyone bitten by one of the poisonous serpents could look up at the serpent on the pole and live. As God commanded, Moses made a serpent of brass, lifted it up and mounted it on a pole. And anyone who was bitten by one of the fiery serpents, if he in faith looked at the brass serpent, lived.

In the same way as the children of Israel, we, because of our sinful and unbelieving hearts, fail to trust in the LORD God and walk in His ways. We grumble and complain about His commandments and about the troubles and difficulties which He permits to arise in our lives. Like Adam and Eve, who failed to trust in the word of the LORD and ate of the tree of which God had commanded them not to eat, we fail to trust in the word of the LORD and so often think we know better than God what is good for us.

When God says, “Thou shall not,” we question His goodness and wisdom and do those things He says not to do. When He tells us what He would have us do, again we think we know better and do what pleases us instead.

As God did not immediately remove the fiery serpents from among His people, so He has not removed from us the consequences of our sin and disobedience. Like Adam and Eve, we must suffer sorrow and hardship in this life and finally die. But though our lives here in this world may be filled with pain and sorrow, God has provided a way for us to live and not suffer eternal death and damnation.

God promised to Adam and Eve the Seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head and save them (cf. Gen. 3:15). As Moses lifted up a brass serpent in the wilderness that all who looked to it could live, so God sent His only begotten Son into the world – the Seed of the woman, Jesus, Son of God and Son of man – and He was lifted up on the cross, crucified and condemned for the sins of the whole world, that we might look to Him in faith and live eternally.

Though we have all been bitten by the old evil serpent and have the poison of sin flowing through our hearts and veins, God in His great love for all mankind sent His only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn us for our sin, but to fulfill all righteousness and to bear our punishment and save us from eternal death and damnation.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and as those who looked toward it in faith lived, so also sinners today can look to Christ Jesus, who was lifted up and crucified for the sins of all and is risen again in victory; and those who look to Jesus in faith will not die eternally but live and have everlasting life!

Dear Jesus, I have sinned and turned aside from loving, trusting and honoring You with my life. Do not deal with me as I deserve on account of my sin but have mercy upon me. I look to You and Your cross for salvation. Forgive my sin, cleanse my heart and grant me life eternal with You in Your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]